Visitors
by forsaken2003
Summary: Xander goes to visit his parents.


Title: Visitors  
>Author: Forsaken2003<br>Pairing: Spike/Xander  
>Rating: R<br>Disclaimer: I own none; all belong to Joss Whedon  
>Comments: Always welcomed!<br>Summary: Xander goes to visit his parents.  
>WarningsSpoilers: Post NFA  
>Beta'd by: Whichclothes<br>Prompt #254 from tamingthemuse- From whence we came

It had been three years since Sunnydale was destroyed, almost four since Xander last saw his parents. Two years after he was relocated to England he'd hired a private investigator to find his parents. He wanted to know if they were alive or if they had been one of the few that didn't believe something big was going down. Two years and he finally was given answers.

Xander never told Spike, he knew that Spike would try to convince him that his parents were a bunch of daft buggers that didn't know how lucky they were to have him as a son. And Spike was of course right but that didn't stop Xander from wanting to find them. To talk to them one more time to find out if they were all right. It was crazy, he knew that, but they were his family. So when he found out that they were in Cleveland it was like- deja vu. It was almost like he was returning home. Returning to from whence we came.

"What the hell do you mean you're going to Cleveland?" Spike shouted in anger. "Where the fuck did this come from?" He deflated and looked miserable. "I thought you were happy here."

"Fuck, Spike I am!" Xander said and rubbed the palms of his hands over his face. He hadn't planned this well at all. "I didn't mean I was moving there. I'm just going for a visit and I was hoping you'd come with me. For moral support."

Spike went from miserable to bewildered. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Xander blushed with embarrassment. "Sorry. Okay, I've tracked down my parents and they are living in Cleveland. What were the odds of that? Anyway I want to go see them. I mean if they'll even see me."

"You want to go visit your parents? The ones that humiliated and degraded you for more than half your life? Why?" Spike asked. He wasn't blind, he knew this meant a lot to Xander, he just didn't understand why.

"They're family. I just want to know if they are okay," Xander replied simply.

"You know what invention was made for this? The telephone. Cheaper than flying half way across the world to see ingrates."

Xander shook his head, Spike didn't understand. "That's taking the easy way out, Spike. Look you don't have to come with me but I am going," he said. Xander knew Spike wouldn't let him go alone.

Spike sighed in defeat. "I'll come."

"Great! We leave tomorrow night," Xander told him with a peck on the cheek before he went to pack for them.

3743 miles later and Spike and Xander were back in the good old US of A. Spike scowled; he had hoped that after L.A he was done with the States. Damn Xander for knowing Spike wouldn't let him go off alone. The main reason was he was afraid that Xander would realize how much he missed living there and that he wouldn't come home.

"So when do we go visit the in-laws?" Spike asked, as they finally flagged down a taxi after twenty bloody minutes!

"No time like the present," Xander said and climbed into the back seat along with Spike, while the cab driver threw their luggage into the trunk. When the cabby climbed in Xander gave him the address.

Spike had managed to convince Xander it would be better to stop off at their hotel to drop off their luggage instead of dragging it over to the Harris residence. Another twenty minutes and they pulled up to a small house; it looked almost exactly like the house Xander grew up in. It needed a good paint job and the lawn needed tending to, weeds were attacking. Fifty dollars was given to the cab driver along with a "keep the change."

The cab drove away and they just stood on the sidewalk. "So are we going to actually go to the door or just stand here all bloody night?"

Xander shot Spike a dirty look before he grabbed his hand and made his way to the door. Three sharp knocks later and Jessica hoped the door. "Hello? Alex?" she said, her eyes wide. "Alex, is that really you?"

"Hey, Mom. Yup it's me," Xander said with an uneasy smile. He was worried that this was a bad idea. That Jessica would slam the door in his face.

"Oh my God!" Jessica said and she pulled Xander into a hug. "I thought you were dead! After that massive earthquake we thought you were one of the unlucky ones," she sobbed.

Xander hugged her back. "We? You mean dad?"

"Of course he was upset!" Jessica pulled away and wiped her eyes. "After we thought you were gone we realized what horrible parents we were. We were blessed to have you and we took that for granted," she babbled before she noticed Spike standing there. "Oh, God. I am so sorry. I didn't realize you brought company. I must look like a mess."

"You look beautiful, Mrs. Harris," Spike said with a smile. He covered his shock of her treatment to Xander. Never would he have thought that this would be the reaction Xander would be given.

Jessica smiled. "You are too kind. Please both of you come in." She moved out of their way. "Your father is in the living room." As she led them through the house a baseball game could be heard. "Tony, turn off that silly game. We've got company!"

Tony grumbled but did as he was told. "I don't suppose it's Rose Mary? Did she bring her famous pecan pie?"

"Rose Mary is visiting her daughter in Maine, remember? No, we have a special guest," Jessica said and moved out of the way so Tony could see Xander.

"Alex?" Tony asked and stood from the couch. "We thought you were dead."

Xander smiled. "Hey, Dad."

"What happened to your eye?" Tony said and was smacked by Jessica.

"Anthony! That's rude," Jessica said but looked curious as well.

Xander adjusted the eye patch before answering. "It's all right, Mom. It was a result of Sunnydale. Spike here saved me."

Jessica grasped Spike and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you for saving our boy."

"It was my pleasure. I only wish I could have done more for him," Spike said and gave a sad smile.

Xander ran his hand over Spike's neck. "You did the best you could. No blame here, bud."

"Are you going to actually introduce us to our hero, Alex?" Tony asked, looking Spike over.

"Oh, sorry! Mom, Dad, this is William but I call him Spike," Xander said. "Spike, this is Jessica and Tony Harris."

Tony shook Spike's hand. It didn't go unnoticed that Spike's skin was pale or cool. "A vampire, really, Alex?"

"Oh, dear," Jessica said looked between her son and Spike. "I-I hadn't noticed."

"You know about vampires?" Xander and Spike both asked.

Jessica tssked, "Of course we do, honey. We know a lot of people were oblivious to it but we weren't. At that point in our lives though we just couldn't let ourselves care," she replied and sat down on the couch. "What we want to know if why you've allowed me to let one into our home."

"He's a good vampire," Xander said. "He has his soul and hasn't hurt anyone in a really long time."

"And he isn't just a friend is he?" Jessica asked. "He's more?"

Xander smiled nervously. "Yeah we've been together for two years." He looked at his father; he was the one that Xander was most concerned about.

Tony stared at both of them for a good long while. "Are you happy? With him?"

"I am," Xander replied. "I know that is a shock but I wanted you to meet him."

"We don't care who you are with, just that you're happy," Jessica said, tears still in her eyes. "We were horrible parents and we regret it every day."

Tony sat beside Jessica, taking hold of her hand. "After Sunnydale we realized that. I've been sober two and a half years."

"That's great, Dad." Xander sighed in relief. Spike nodded, unsure of what to say.

"I'm so glad you've come home," Jessica said and Spike tensed.

Xander squeezed Spike's hand. "We're just here to visit. I'm living in England now."

"Oh….of course you have a life. It was silly of me to think…." Jessica said and bowed her head.

"Now, Jessie. We should be happy he's tracked us down at all," Tony said and kissed her temple. Xander had never seen them so tender towards each other. "How long are you here?"

"We're here for at least a week, Mr. Harris," Spike answered. He grew concerned with their wellbeing. That thought shocked him. "You do know Cleveland isn't a safe place, don't you?"

Tony and Jessica looked at one another with surprise. "No, I mean we thought all that weird stuff went under with Sunnydale."

"We have a lot to tell you," Xander said. He let Spike have the chair and he sat down in front of it. Instantly Spike's hand started massaging his scalp. This hadn't been the way Xander thought his meeting with his parents would go. It could have been so much worse, but it felt like he could finally have a real relationship with them. One that he no longer had to keep secrets of his life from them. Xander only wished it hadn't taken so long. Better late than never.

The End


End file.
